1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a blood analyzer, a blood analysis method, a hemolytic agent and a staining agent, and more particularly, it relates to a blood analyzer and a blood analysis method for classifying white blood cells and detecting malaria-infected red blood cells, and a hemolytic agent and a staining agent employed in this blood analysis method.
2. Description of the Background Art
A blood analyzer classifying white blood cells is known in general. Such a blood analyzer is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-292738, for example. Also, a blood analyzer detecting malaria-infected red blood cells is known in general. Such a blood analyzer is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-304774, for example.
A blood analyzer described in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-292738 is configured to measure scattered light and fluorescent light and classify white blood cells in a measurement sample into four groups by a flow cytometer (light information generation portion) employing a dedicated reagent for classifying white blood cells.
A blood analyzer described in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-304774 is configured to measure scattered light and fluorescent light and detect malaria-infected red blood cells in a measurement sample by a flow cytometer (light information generation portion) employing a dedicated reagent for detecting malaria-infected red blood cells.
Recently, a blood analyzer capable of both classification of white blood cells and detection of malaria-infected red blood cells has been desired.
However, the blood analyzer according to the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-292738 classifies white blood cells employing the dedicated reagent for classifying white blood cells, and the blood analyzer according to the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-304774 detects malaria-infected red blood cells employing the dedicated reagent for detecting malaria-infected red blood cells having a different composition from the reagent for classifying white blood cells, and hence two types of reagents having different compositions from each other must be developed separately to classify white blood cells and detect malaria-infected red blood cells also in a case where a blood analyzer capable of both classification of white blood cells and detection of malaria-infected red blood cells is obtained by combining the blood analyzer according to the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-292738 and the blood analyzer according to the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-304774. Consequently, there is such a problem that a user is burdened.